“Sticks and stones may break my bones…”
Thus goes the old nursery rhyme.
Flying off a table-top can break your bones, too, as I discovered this weekend. I was standing on top of the dining-room table to change a lightbulb in the ceiling fixture when suddenly I found myself in a heap on the floor!
So, for now I’m sidelined from a lot of activities with a broken foot and various soft-tissue “ouchies.”
Meanwhile, on a brighter note, my new arrows came. They are handmade wooden arrows made by Dayrl Merrill of Viking Archery Supply, to the specifications of SCA archery events, where carbon and aluminum arrows are not permitted. They are custom orders. You get to choose your own shaft dimensions and staining (I went for no stain and 30″ long shafts), number of fletches, 3 or 4–I chose 3; length–I went with 3 inches; their colors–I chose two whites and a traditional barred cock feather. I also asked for white nocks.
I think they are rather lovely!
That is a photograph of me playing the Renaissance lute at the Columbus Arts Festival in the 1980’s in the red Elizabethan dress my Mother made me. Ophelia wanted to play hide and seek with the camera while I was taking these photos. She was too fast for me to get a good picture of her, though:
I have also been working on a soft fabric case for my bow. Cases like these are called by various names: socks, snugglies, cozies, whatever! Mine is made from a remnant of upholstery fabric that is rubberized on the inside. I have self-lined the case so that the handsome soft side faces in towards the bow, as well as out towards the world. And the case is waterproof.
I will finish it with a webbing shoulder strap and a line of Velcro across the top to keep the bow in and the rain out. I have enough fabric left over to make a matching separate bag for the bowstring, its wax and my glove.
Before I did my flying stunt, I tried putting up my camping cot in the living room. Here it is, with my sleeping bag spread over it, and a little collapsible modern fabric camping table next to it.
I’ll be taking it on SCA camping trips, first an over-nighter at the end of April in West Virginia (that is, West “By-God” Virginia) and then a week-long major event called the Pennsic Wars in August in Pennsylvania. I’ll be using this modern camping cot and a modern (very small) dome tent, but most people will be using things that look much more Medieval. Here are pictures of some of the beds and tents of friends of mine:
Janet VanMeter’s wooden slat-bed made by her husband David, in her dome tent (they have a big Medieval tent they use when they are camping together, but it’s too much bother for her to lug along when she camps alone):
Nancy LaMonica-Barton’s (aka “Kestral”) bed and tent, both of which she made herself!:
And the coup-de-resistence, Claude-Wayne Cossin’s bed, complete with tester:
I will feel very declasse among these lovely encampments! But before I get involved in getting a lot of Medieval camping equipment, I need to see if I actually LIKE Medieval camping. Or camping at all, at this age. After all, I haven’t camped in a tent since I was in my 20’s–and that was a while ago, to be sure!
Oh you just have to be careful around the house. Hope you recover soon stronger than ever to go on the camping trip. And medieval camping, it’s sure no glamping we think!
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Thanks, Mel & Suan!
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I never liked camping, but I’d probably enjoy it if I had a bed with a tester.
The arrows are lovely.
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Thanks, April!
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Good morning dear Timi…..oh my goodness….I have done similar things…to the point that now I am so cautious when climbing a ladder or standing on a table…- let’s hope you heal very quickly…..and I see with great delight that the magical hummingbirds are there to do just that…help to heal you:) The arrow are very beautiful…and the tents, well – what an amazing kind of camping, and I am quite sure that you will enjoy it and everyone else will benefit from having you there. Wonderful to see dear Ophelia who is probably wondering why you are sleeping in the living room……’this too shall pass……’ This could also be a good opportunity for watercolour painting 🙂 x
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Thanks, Janet!
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Janet, yes indeed the magical hummingbirds are with me to help me heal. I have my coffee every morning in a mug with your magical hummingbirds on it. I have 4 different mugs–one has both a magical hummingbird and a black-and-white kitty on it! I adore your magical hummingbirds, and the rest of your art works, as well! ❤
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Enjoy your Sunday surrounded with magical hummingbirds…and Ophelia. 🙂 x
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Medieval camping! I can’t wait to see how you like it. 🙂 I wonder how cold it gets at night in April in West Virginia… You and your friends are so creative. And your mother, too ~ the red Elizabethan dress, what a lovely keepsake. Stay off that foot!
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Thanks, Barbara, I am lying on the couch as I write this!
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OK Timi, “household 101”. When changing light bulbs, do not consider a table, chair, footstool, upside down bucket, or a stack of books as a substitute for an OSHA approved step ladder. As a retired painter I have used all of the above and injured only my ego when I spilled a gallon of paint over the carpet from atop a stack of books. Hope you heal quickly….lovely arrows and cute cat.
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Thank you, Larry! I thought I had already replied to your comment, but it appears not. I guess that I never did take Household 101 in school–had to learn it on-the-job instead, as it were. 😛 It is amazing the thing that can be used as step ladders, is it not? Take care… 🙂
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Not only are your arrows rather lovely, but I think you are too! 🙂 I hope your foot feels and gets better soon. Love the costume your mother made for you in that photo.
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Thank you, Val!
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Ouch! Timi… hope your wounds heal soon!
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Thank you, Tom!
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I stumbled across your blog quite by accident, but hello to a fellow SCAdian! I hope you heal up from your injuries soon. 🙂
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Thanks, Christian! I’m hoping to heal pretty quickly, although I’m going to miss the next couple of events, it looks like. Still, there are many more to come! I’m going to go look at your blog now, if I can… 🙂
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Oh, it says that your blog has been deleted. 😦 Which kingdom are you in? I’m a Midrealmer…
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my blog has been deleted? Hm. I have more than one – my sca blog is justasimplewarrior.wordpress.com, and I am from the Outlands.
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Thanks, Christian, I will look for your Scadian blog…
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You’ve certainly been busy since I was last on my blog, Timi, but the fall and the broken foot… ! You really don’t do things by halves do you? I can only hope it’s all “mended” by the time you go camping. Speaking of which, I’d have the same concerns as you about camping, although sleeping on a camp bed of some kind is preferable to sleeping on a groundsheet on the floor. My back would never survive that.
Your arrows look fabulous and so does the case you’ve made to carry it in. You’re evidently a clever seamstress – a good skill for a medieval lady.
Take care of yourself – and no more climbing on top of tables!
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Thank you for the compliments and the vote of confidence re my healing, Millie! ❤ What I'm most concerned about is being able to walk at least 5-8 miles a day on my trip to Iceland in May. I'm going to ask my doctor for physical therapy next week, I think….
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